James Carpenter

Now dubbed the Central Park Tower, Extell’s 1,550-foot-tall supertall on Billionaires’ Row was originally known as the Nordstrom Tower, so named because of its ground-floor tenant who will be opening their first Manhattan flagship store. But despite the fact that we architecture nerds were saying “Nordstrom” for years, we had no idea how the store would actually factor into the 95-story building’s overall design (which was recently knocked down from a whopping 1,775 feet with the loss of its spire). But now, the Seattle Times (the department store is based out of the Washington city) has revealed renderings of the retail base, reports NY Yimby.

We tend to think of the Meatpacking District as more of an after-hours or weekend destination for cocktails and shopping, but a piece in the Times today looks at the “influx of office space and more” moving into the neighborhood.

In addition to the much-anticipated opening on May 1st of Renzo Piano’s new Whitney Museum along the High Line, a James Carpenter-designed 10-story glass commercial tower and Samsung’s six-story flagship building are taking shape across from the Standard Hotel. And let’s not forget about Pier 55, the $130 million futuristic floating park that is expected to break ground in 2016 off West 14th Street. With all of these new cultural attractions that will undoubtedly attract tourists, coupled with big-name companies joining the likes of Google in the area, is the Meatpacking District the new Midtown?

It’s a busy couple of weeks for the Financial District. On Monday, Condé Nast moved in to One World Trade Center, and this coming Monday, November 10th, at 5:00pm, the Fulton Center subway station will finally open.

The new station, which connects ten subway lines, was first conceived in 2002 as part of downtown revitalization efforts following 9/11, but also because the station had needed improvements for decades. It was initially supposed to open in 2007, but funding hurdles and escalating costs delayed the progress. More recently, Hurricane Sandy and systems testing problems pushed back the opening further. But the $1.4 billion transit hub is now ready to welcome commuters and dazzle them with its giant 120-foot-tall oculus.

Author Stephen King considers Jack Finney’s classic novel, Time and Again, to be “THE great time-travel story” ever, and figuring prominently in the main character’s attempts to travel back to the late 1800’s is the building that still sits prominently at 1 West 72nd Street, The Dakota. Its significance in the plot is not simply because it was completed around the time of the story’s setting, but rather for a more interesting notion: The Dakota faces a section of Central Park which, when observed from the apartment in the story, remains relatively unchanged from the day it was completed in 1884. A timeless view.

Whoever coined the term “the lap of luxury” was clearly thinking of The Mayfair’s apartment #2BC at 610 Park Avenue. This opulent residence, with a $20 million price tag, is so lavish you feel elegant just looking at it. The gorgeous marble entrance gallery is a perfect first impression, setting the tone for the rest of the apartment.

The Mayfair was originally the Mayfair Regent Hotel, built back in 1925 by Rosario Candela’s famous partner J.E.R. Carpenter. The building was converted to 15 floors of beautiful condos in 1997.